The SDSU men placed third, and the women fifth at the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships. The men scored 134.5 points, and the women 72.
Both teams placed lower than last year. Despite these finishes, there were many notable performances. On the men’s team, Cody Larson won the 3000 meter race with a time of 8:15.48. His teammate, Will Lohrfinished fourth in a tight race for second that saw three runners within 1.54 seconds of each other. This duo placed second and third in the 5000 meter, running 14:01.56 and 14:16.14 respectively.
Lohr also placed fourth in the mile with a time of 4:06.71, exceeded by his teammate Brandon Kampsen, who ran 4:06.04 in second place.
Kampsen also scored the silver in the 800 meter race, running 1:49.11.
The men’s only other first place finish came from the field events. Caiden Fredrick won the weight throw with a 69 foot throw. This performance won him Kwik Star Peak Performer of the week.
The men’s team also sported a few promising up-and-comers. Freshman Griffin Fischer placed third in the 200 meter race, Freshman Ty Nelson placed third in the triple jump and Sophomore Cashton Johnson placed seventh in the 5000. As they continue to develop, they could prove to be key components of future championship attempts.
The women’s only first place finish came from the Distance Medley Relay. The DMR consists of 1200, 800, 400 and 1600 meter runs. The team of Nina Dawson, Vivian Dalton, Madalyn Childs and Eleni Lovgren beat USD’s team by 0.34 seconds.
Other notable finishes include Ellie Harris in the 200 meter, who captured third place with a time of 23.95. Harris also placed fifth in the 60 meter dash, with a time of 7.55.
Josie Curry placed third in the weight throw, throwing just over 61 feet.
Some up-and-coming athletes on the women’s side are Johanna Pihl, who placed third in the long jump. Freshman Addy Engel led the team in the shot put with a sixth place finish. Sophomore Silja Gunderson placed fourth in the 60 meter hurdles. From the same class, Lindsey Rotz placed sixth in the 800.
With the championship in their rear view mirror, the Jackrabbits now set their sights towards the future, and the approaching start to their outdoor season. On March 27, the Jacks will compete in their outdoor season opener, the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis.
